The latest episode of “Smackdown” opened with chaos as a furious Gunther demanded justice after losing to Cody Rhodes at a WWE Championship match during last week’s “Clash in Italy”.
The irate Austrian lost the high-stakes match after a controversial finish, as Rhodes got the pinfall victory despite Gunther placing his leg below the bottom rope which constitutes a rope break.
During the opening of the show, Gunther ripped apart the announce desks and stated that the show will not continue until he gets his justice.
“Nothing happens here tonight before I get what I want! I want justice for what happened to me at ‘Clash in Italy’. You all saw it,” Gunther demanded as he stood atop the ravaged commentator’s desk.
“I’m the greatest professional wrestler in the world. I got ring awareness like nobody else before, and I intentionally put my foot underneath that rope.”
“And when a foot is underneath there, that pinfall cannot be counted. The ref knows that. Cody knows that. And that means Cody didn’t beat me.”
The champion confronts ‘The Ring General’
Gunther accused the WWE Champion of cheating, adding that Rhodes took advantage of the situation.
As Gunther called out “The American Nightmare”, Rhodes came out to thunderous applause and admitted that his opponent was in the right.
Despite acknowledging the referee error, Rhodes noted that Gunther has 20 years of professional experience in the industry, adding: “Have you never had a controversial inning that shorts you on the winnings before?”
Rhodes then proposed a rematch, which Gunther looked eager to accept.
However, Sami Zayn interrupted the segment, stating that he sympathises with Gunther.
Zayn said that he has been in the same situation Gunther is in, but the Austrian dismissed the statement and told Zayn to leave as this was “WWE Championship business”.
But Zayn snapped back, stating: “When it comes to the world championship, I might not know much about that. I’ve never held the world championship. But I do know a thing or two about beating you for championships,” a reference to when Zayn ended Gunther’s record-setting Intercontinental Championship reign back in 2024.
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Caught in the cross-fire
Rhodes acknowledged that Zayn wants a shot at the belt, but said that he needs to address the Gunther situation.
Zayn then said that his friendship with Rhodes is in a rocky state because “every time things are a little hairy here, instead of talking about it, you’re always blowing me off. You’re always looking past me.”
However, as Zayn and Rhodes were confronting each other, Gunther blindsided the champion and put him in a “Sleeper Hold”.
Zayn saved Rhodes from the submission, but as “The American Nightmare” aimed for Gunther in a “Suicide Dive”, Zayn was caught in the cross-fire, further simmering tensions between the two friends.
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